Brands With Balls: Taking Risks Pays Off

If you are a city dweller, market research firm Yankelovich estimates you will see up to 5,000 brand messages a day.  How many of those will you remember?  How many of them will actually impact you?   How do you go about growing that proverbial set, taking those taboo actions and getting your message through impermeable skulls?

We’re going to ogle three brands that took some dangerous risks in 2009.  They each generated a ton of positive buzz, but even more criticism.  It should be noted that besides their detractors, the following campaigns were almost universally supported by their intended audiences – and as a result should be applauded for their efforts.

Volskwagen Real Racing GTI iPhone app (10.09)

What the people who mattered had to say: @thirtytwofeet “the vw gti app is great fun. i’m going to buy the full version – game and car. it’s ‘everyone’s a winner ‘advertising. Awesome”

The risk that they took:

Went straight to iPhone.  VW Golf’s young male techy audience likely spends a disproportionate time playing games and with their smart phones versus watching television.  VW decided to forgo the traditional TV buy for their new GTI launch and focus on showcasing the vehicle through a customized version of an already-popular paid iPhone racing game.  Upon download players are entered to win one of six suped-up GTIs as they play.  There is also a showroom in the game where they can get a close-up look at the redesigned auto.

What they could’ve done better:

Take it beyond the iPhone racing game. Real Racing GTI limits users to a racetrack where speed is the only objective.  There is certainly room to showcase the other vehicle features that matter in other iPhone apps.  Where else is this audience talking about and drooling over cars?  In their own cars? Why not create an augmented reality app that can transform someone’s current car into a new GTI?  VW can also benefit by highlighting the real-life experience of the vehicle – from the plush interior to the Euro suspension. Maybe integrate into an app that highlights European fashion and luxury – like Gilt Groupe?

Takeaway:

Simple, non-pigeonholed ideas can propel a digital-only launch.  Where mass market buys are too inefficient or have too high a barrier of entry, highly targeted digital activations will always work.  It’s important to not create an app for the sake of it, but to add value and be super-specific in messaging.

Burger King Whopper Sacrifice (01.09)

What the people who mattered had to say: Rajesh Shetty “It was a brilliant campaign where you win if you win and win if you fail”

The risk that they took:

Burger King enabled their consumers to wreak havoc on Facebook.  A more dated but still relevant case study, BK allowed Facebook users to sacrifice 10 of their friends in exchange for a Whopper.  In this hilarious take on the true value of social networking “friendships,” Burger King enabled their consumers to prioritize a delicious burger over a purely digital distant relationship.

What they could’ve done better:

Work closer with Facebook to avoid getting pulled.  The application was discontinued in less than a week due to supposed violation of Facebook’s privacy policy that forbids a user to be notified when they’ve been defriended.  Nearly a quarter-million friendships were sacrificed for a Whopper in this manner, fueling Burger King’s viral branding fire.

Takeaway:

Brands often get caught up in the desire to satisfy everyone without offending anyone – a task proven impossible since the dawn of man (though promised by most politicians). Our consumers are smarter, more intelligent and cynical than we give them credit for.  They can appreciate when a brand is real enough to aid them in their personal guilty/evil pleasures.  In the game of branding, success can be found in helping our consumers offend each other, rather than please.

Amp “B4 U Score” iPhone app (10.9)

Credit: Wall Street Journal

What the people who mattered had to say: @thelifeofnate “I don’t know what’s worse. That people take time to complain about this stuff or that Pepsi rolled over.”

The risk that they took:

Help men fulfill their carnal desires.  Amp Energy solidified their stature amongst Maxim-reading, Axe-wielding males 18-24 by creating an iPhone app that provided these guys scoring tips for 2 dozen lady types – from Cougar to Rebound Girl to Twins.  They introduced witty/cheesy pickup lines along with bits of conversational knowledge that could aid in conquest.  There was even a feature to “brag” to your friends about the whole experience.  It essentially was a male/iPhone version of Cosmo’s monthly “195 Ways to Please Your Man”.

What they could’ve done better:

Stuck to their guns and not pull it down.  None of Amp’s intended male target asked for the app to be taken down from the app store (which also happened within a week of launch, like the Burger King case above).  If Pepsi had the guts to set this dating application for men live, they should’ve defended it all the way through.  Instead they yielded to external pressure and apologized for something that they shouldn’t have been sorry for.

Takeaway:

If you’re going to be badass, stay badass ‘til the end.  The second you waiver, your authenticity is called into question.  Obviously you need to keep concern for your shareholders and the halo effect on the other brands in your portfolio – but not at the risk of diluting a powerful and effective branding message.  It is totally possible to surprise and delight your target audience while offending everybody else just enough to avoid protest marches outside of your corporate headquarters.

Its fairly safe to declare each of these risky executions as brand winners – they all strived to become not just the subject, but part of the conversation.  To do so they talked with and enabled their youngish male audiences – instead of simply talking like them and pissing them off (see “Poochie”, The Simpsons 1997).

As our brands evolve in the social media space, we must peel off the white gloves.  If we’re already convinced we’ve been risky and bold, we should examine the criticism we’ve received.  If there is none, then I think we we’ve played it too safe.  Let’s all take risks like Burger King, Volkswagen and Amp as we position our brands as something quite the opposite of lame.